Suu Kyi does not want permanent solution to Rohingya crisis: DU vice-chancellor

The Myanmar’s government does not want a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis which has been reflected in the comment of its de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the vice-chancellor of the Dhaka University has said.

Prof Akhtaruzzaman termed her comment “very disappointing and shocking” while speaking at an international conference at the Dhaka University on Saturday.

Suu Kyi recently at a programme in Singapore said the repatriation depends on how quickly Bangladesh sends them back.

Bangladesh has given shelter to over 700,000 Rohingyas who fled ethnic cleansing from the Rakhine State in a year and is now working on their repatriation with the support of the international community who are asking Myanmar to create a conducive environment for them.

The vice-chancellor said, “No doubt there is politics that the Myanmar government does not want a permanent and smooth repatriation process which we need.”

 He called upon all to continue to put pressure on Myanmar.

The Department of Criminology of the Dhaka University organised the conference with the theme on “Rohingya: Politics, ethnic cleansing and uncertainty”.

Chairman of the department Prof Zia Rahman chaired the inaugural session where Director of Center for Comparative and Public Law of the University of Hongkong Kelley Loper presented the keynote.

Dean of the faculty of social science of the Dhaka University Prof Sadeka Halim suggested diplomatic and economic sanctions against Myanmar for ensuring the safe return of Rohingyas.

She asked her students to look into the socio-economic and political aspect of the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.

“We can’t deny that roughly 60 babies are being born every day. Women who were raped by the Myanmar security forces have given birth to those children.

"They are being ostracized by their community and also by the local community. They are likely to carry the stigma for the rest of the life," Prof Halim observed.

Citing one of her students’ research, she said Rohingyas are already competing in the labour market, are politically misused and the number of sex workers and drug dealers among them are on the rise.

She said Bangladesh must keep up the pressure along with the international community on Myanmar and urged the neighbouring China and India to play their roles.

Speaking at the conference, former chief justice Muzammel Hossain said a “safe, dignified and voluntary” return of Rohingya is a “durable” solution to end their plights.

Everybody including Bangladesh is now expecting that good sense will prevail over the government of Myanmar to implement the repatriation agreement with Bangladesh, he said.